Te I ME Why

• Are you battling with your
child over food?

• Is your child sneaking food?

• Is your child gaining too
much weight?

• Do weight problems
run in your family?

Let the
professional

staff of
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Childhood Weight
Management help you

and your child.

CCWM

Center
for Childhood
Weight Management

For more information about
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"Healthy Kids Are Happy Kids"

Vs Good, Olc
Reliable Arnold

The man who inspired
l\athan Detroit.'

Elizabeth Applebaum

Apple-Free Editor

I

s it true that actor Peter Falk, best
known for his portrayal of bum-
bling but brilliant detective
Columbo, once actually applied for
work with the police?,
There's no (police) record of it..
But, Tell Me Why has learned that
Falk did once seek work with the
CIA. Mum's the word, of course, as
to whether he was accepted.

.

* Professional instructions
* Classes for all skill levels -
beginner to expert
* Special program for the younger
skiers (ages 6-9)
* Small classes
* Adult classes too!
* Charter buses Saturday & Sunday

(248) 583-1300

fax: (248) 583-1305

31051 stephenson hwy
madison heights, mi 48071

2/18

1998

58 Detroit Jewish News

under new ownership

I know that Guys and Dolls
is a work of fiction. But did-
n't I once read that the
character of Nathan Detroit
was based on a real-life
Jewish gangster?

If you see a guy, and his name is
Arnold Rothstein, you can bet he
inspired a character named
Nathan. That's right, infamous mob-
ster Arnold "The Brain" Rothstein,
who reportedly fixed the 1919
World Series between the Chicago
White Sox and the Cincinnati Reds,
supposedly was the real Nathan

"Sue Me" Detroit.
Born in 1882 in New YO:K
Rothstein was the son of a respect-
ed merchant, an observant Jew
known for his many philanthropic
endeavors. Young Arnold's interests,
on the other hand, were gambling,
drugs and bootlegging.
By the time he was in his early
40s he controlled the largest gam-
bling empire in the United States.

Arnold Rothstein's circle of "friends"

was quite diverse. Among those
with whom he associated were
politicians, bankers and guys like
Frank Castello. Rothstein, who got
his "Brain" nickname from Damon
Runyon (author of the book Guys
and Dolls, later made into a mu..,;
cal by Frank Loesser), died in 1 928
when he was shot at Centro! i-iote
in New York. He lived a few
moments after he was attacked —
but like any good mobster he
refused to name names. His killer
was never found.
In addition to serving as the inspi-
ration for 'Nathan Detroit,'
Rothstein also appears in The Great
Garshy as a character named
Meyer Wolfsheim.

My wife and I recently
returned from a visit to
Pennsylvania where we
heard about a place called
Aaronsburg. Does this, by
any chance, have a Jewish
connection?

Indeed, it does, my wise rriera!
Ac o-sburg, Pa., the population of

which nas never topped the several-
hundred mark. was established in
1779 by Aaron Levy.
Located near the center of the
state. Aaronsburg was founded by
a patriot of the American
Revolution. In fact, Levy was a lead-
ing financier (he held numerous war
bonds) of the Revolution. Later, he
bought land throughout
Pennsylvania and established the
town that still bears his name.